June 29, 2009

"Hail to the King, Baby!"

I love Duke Nukem 3D almost as much as I hate it. The big problem I have with it is that every other game I have played since topping the final boss with Duke has paled in comparison. Duke Nukem 3D was scary as hell (the level design, the sounds, the monsters!), it was as involving as any scene with Bruce Campbell in it (after all, the Duke's personality was based on Campbell's Evil Dead Ash character), and it was also incredibly silly from time to time (the pole dancers, the shrinking gun, and let's not forget the short videos). Still, Duke Nukem 3D also had something special which cannot be described in simple words - the smell, the taste, the allure of what people call zeitgeist. There probably have been better actioneers and horror/sci-fi adventures over time (Resident Evil, Halo) but I don't think that any of these has been as bloody legendary / ludicrously attuned to its times as the Duke was. In any case, here's to a trip down the memory lane, and note this: 13 years on, it still feels amazing!

Oh, and if you would like to download the game and experience it again (or maybe for the first time), just go to this site, scroll a bit down and then hit the button that needs some proper hitting. Enjoy!

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Danse Macabre is a kick ass radio show dedicated to the meisters of the horror genre. The shows blasts the airwaves with a special theme every Friday from 00:00 - 02:00 CET. On April 10, 2009, episode 1: "Invitation to Dance" ran all the way to Valhalla.